How to Become A Spotter
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The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many Americans. To obtain critical weather information, NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service. Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property. Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. SKYWARN® storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation's first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time--seconds and minutes that can help save lives. Who is Eligible? NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service and access to communication, such HAM radio, to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are also encouraged to become a spotter. How Can I Get Involved? NWS has 122 local Weather Forecast Offices, each with a Warning Coordination Meteorologist, who is responsible for administering the SKYWARN® program in their local area. Training is conducted at these local offices and covers:
Classes are free and typically are about two hours long. To find out when a SKYWARN® class in western and north central Nebraska contact Teresa Keck at 308-532-4936 X726 or email. For other areas, contact your Nebraska Warning Coordination Meteorologist at: https://www.weather.gov/stormready/ne-cwa |
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There are three training options to become a spotter for NWS North Platte. Spotters should retrain every three years.
Volunteer as a SKYWARN Spotter for NWS North Platte
NWS North Platte encompasses 44 percent of western and north central Nebraska. Much of the area is open range and crop land where SKYWARN Spotters can assist in gaining ground truth. To be a volunteer spotter you should:
If you live elsewhere, please contact your local NWS office for more information. |
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Skywarn Spotter Classes
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in North Platte, in coordination with county emergency managers, offer storm spotter classes at several locations to prepare for severe weather season. If you would like to assist your local community by becoming a volunteer storm spotter and reporting severe weather to the National Weather Service, or if you simply want to learn more about severe weather, consider attending one of our classes. Basic and advanced classes are normally held in the evening and can last up to two hours.
Attendees are taught the basics of thunderstorm development, storm structure, the features to look for, and where to find them. What, when and how to report information as well as basic severe weather safety are also covered.
If you have any questions about a scheduled class date or location, please call the Point of Contact provided, or visit with your local county emergency manager. The training is free and may require preregistration if noted on the date of training. If you have additional questions, email nws.northplatte@noaa.gov.
Check back often for the latest additions or changes to class locations and times.
Calendar times default to Central Time. If the training location is in the mountain time zone adjust start time to be on time. You can also click on the spotter training location to learn more details. If you use Gmail the training information can be copied to your own calendar and shared.
Amateur Radio
Amateur radio operators are a vital part of the National Weather Service severe weather warning program because they provide a fast response capability without reliance on telephones. At this time, only a few radio networks have been established across western and north-central Nebraska There is, however, interest in expanding amateur radio networks across the area, which would provide an increase in contacts to relay severe weather reports.
Amateur Radio Clubs
The North Platte Progressive Amateur Radio Club (freq. 146.700 hz)
When a threat exists for severe weather in Lincoln County the North Platte Progressive Amateur Radio Club provides a ham radio operator at the National Weather Service Office in North Platte. This allows a direct connection between the office and club members dispatched within Lincoln County, who then relay observed conditions from storms. If you are interested in learning more about the Lincoln County Amateur Radio Club, contact Kevin Curtis (K0KDC) at k0kdcham@gmail.com. Kevin is Lincoln County Emergency Coordinator.
Additional links of interest -
Submit A Report
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For more information on weather hazards and references to report to NWS North Platte.
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Resources
Please feel free to download and print any of the materials. You are also welcome to reprint this material subject to some restrictions.
Information on government servers is in the public domain unless specifically annotated otherwise and may be used freely by the public. Some NWS information changes rapidly in response to weather events so please pay attention to the date and time of the data and products displayed. In addition, NWS information may NOT be edited and then presented as official government material. NWS is providing this data as is, and the user assumes any risk related to using this data. NWS is not liable to you or anyone else due to your use of this data. Material listed as copyrighted must include the copyright when reused.
2019 Nebraska Severe Weather Awareness Week Newsletter
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